Racer.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD A. COOK, OF SOUTHFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

RACER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,546, dated April 7, 1903. Application filed December 7, 1901. Serial No. 85,021. (llo model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, HOWARD A. COOK, a citizen of the United States, and a Vresident of Southfield, f in the county ot' Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, 'have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Racers Adapted to the Braidlng of Whip-Lashes, dac., of which the following is a specication.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the class specified having features of novelty and advantage. The drawings represent a racer which is used in connection with whip-lash-braiding machines, and the description will refer to this mechanism.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view Vof a racer with my improved tension device'applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sideview of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, on the line ab of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa detail View, partly in section, on the line c d of Fig. l. Y

In braiding a whip-lash it is essential that the strands which are braided together to make up the lash shall be held under a strong and even tension in order that the lash shall be compactly and firmly braided. Many devices have been heretofore employed for holding the strands under tension; but I believe almost without exception the tension on the strands is obtained by drawing-it between two parts, which are ixed or stationary, such as between the posts of the Moore patent, No. 575,428, or between` the wheel and the saddle of the Turner patent, No. 432,528, or`

between the cleats of the Turner patent, No.

679,650, and a number of others which have.

A parts it is obvious that the tension will vary,

being greater at some times than at others, thus causing a corresponding unevenness in the braiding of therlash. By my invention I have endeavored to overcome the principal objections to the present form of racers.

In the device illustrated-in the drawingsI have not shown the foot, shank, and tailpiece or guide in connection with the racer,

for the reason that they are of ordinary con-l struction and are well known.

A denotes the plate, which is attached to the foot-piece,`and on this plate is mounted the reel B, upon which the strand of leather or other material is wound up, passing from this reel through' the tension device and thence into the braid. This reel B has a handle b, by means of which it may be turned to wind up on it the strand. On this plate A adjacent to the reel B is a post C, on which is revolublymounted the sleeve E. A lever F is pivoted on the plate A and carries at' one end a post G, on which is mounted a revoluble sleeve g, which coperates with the revoluble sleeve E on the post C. The opposite end ofthe lever is borne against by A the spring H, whose strength may be varied by the thumb-screw h, threaded into the lug I. It is evident that the pressure which the sleeveg exerts against the sleeve E may be varied by varying the compression of the spring H by means of the thumb-screw h.

`Adjacent Ytothe posts C G is located the post K, secured in the plate A, and on this post is revolubly mounted the tension device proper. As shown in the drawings, this comprises the tension-pulley K', the washers P Q, of a yielding material-such as leather, felt, rubber, or a composition--lo'cated at each end of the pulley above and below, the

nut R, screwed-threaded onto the upper endof the post K, the periphery of the nut being notched, as at r, and the spring-linger T, secured at-one end to the top of t-he post and having its opposite end turned downwardly and adapted to engage the notches r in the periphery ofthe nut R. The tension-pulley, as shown, is made up of two sections M N of frusto-conical shape, their smaller ends being placed together, the two sections being connected by means of the pins m n, so that they shall revolve in unison. The surfaces of these sections are grooved or toothed lengthwise thereof, as shown at S in Fig. 2, to insure the gripping of the strand by the pulley. This form of atension-pulley is preferable over a cylindrical pulley, for the reason that it is itself a guide for the strand and does away with the necessity of providing'a separate device for this purpose, and it has the further advantage of insuring a more positive grippinglaction on the strand, for the reason that the strand tends to travel on the smallest diameter of the pulley, where the IOO gripping action is strongest. The strand as it moves from the reel B passes between the sleeves E g on the posts C Gr and thence about the tension-pulley R back about the post X, which may have a revoluble sleeve, and from there to the braiding mechanism. The tension-pulley is preferably set to one side of the direct line from the reel to the braiding mechanism in order that the strand in passing around it must move at substantially a right angle to that line. By this arrangement of the parts the draft of the braiding mechanism on the strand pulls it directly against the tension-pulley, and thus insures the strong gripping action between the pulley and the strand. It is essential in devices -of this class that the tension to which the strand is subjected shall be capable of very fine adjustment, that the adjustment shall remain fixed, and that the tension shall be as near unvarying as possible. My method of adjusting the tension is shown clearly in the drawings. By screwing the nut R up or down on the post K the pulley K' is pinched between the yielding washersP Q to a greater or less extent, these washers acting as a brake on the pulley. When the proper adjustment is obtained, the spring-finger T is allowed to snap into one of the notches o", thus maintaining the desired degree of tension.

It is desirable, in order that the best gripping action shall be obtained, that the teeth or grooves in the tension-pulley K' shall be kept reasonably fresh or sharpened, and in order to permit of taking the device apart to sharpen these grooves readily I prefer to make the pulley K in two sections M N, as above described.

Itis obvious that this device is susceptible to alteration and modification without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my inventionl. In a device of the class specified the combination with the plate and the reel mounted thereon, of a tension' device comprising a grooved pulley, a post on which said pulley is revolubly mounted, braking-surfaces at each end of said pulley and means for varying the strength of the braking action comprising a notched nut threaded onto said post, and a spring-iingcr adapted to engage the notches to hold said nut in position, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class specified the combination with the plate and the reel revolubly mounted thereon, of a tension device comprising a post secured tothe plate, a grooved pulley revolubly mounted thereon, yielding washers located on the post at each end of the pulley, the nut screw-threaded on the upper end of the post, notches in the periphery of said nut, and a spring-finger secured to the top of the post and having its end turned downwardly and adapted to engage the notches, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. In adevice of the class specified, the combination with the plate and a reel mounted thereon, of a tension device comprising a pulley having a concaved surface, a post on which said pulley is revolubly mounted, yielding washers located on the post at each end of the pulley, the nut threaded on one end. of the post and having its periphery notched, and the spring-finger secured to the upper end ofthe post, its opposite end being adapted to coact with the notches in the nut, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class specified in combination the base plate, the reel revolubly mounted thereon, and the tension device mounted in operative relation thereto, said tension device comprising the compound pulley made up of frustro-conical sections with their smaller ends together, pins connecting these two sections, yielding washers located at each end of said pulley, a nut adapted to compress said washers against each end of said pulley, notches in the periphery of said nut, and a spring-lingercooperating with said notches, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

HOVARD A. COOK. Witnesses:

ROBERT H. BRADLEY, RALPH W. BRADLEY. 

